It was a welcome change as customers indulged in mango juice and imported dates at Java Coffee Thursday night after a long summertime day of Ramadan fasting.
Java Coffee and a growing number of Minneapolis businesses are taking advantage of the city’s new flexibility that allows them to stay open later during the holy month.
Java Coffee on Minnehaha Avenue is welcoming customers until 4 a.m. Before, the business had to close its doors at 11 p.m. With the sun setting at 9 p.m. in June, famished customers had little time to break their sunrise-to-sundown fast.
After being approached by Minneapolis business owners about the challenges they face during Ramadan, City Council Member Andrew Johnson proposed amending an ordinance to give businesses temporary extended hours.
The amendment brings relief to many businesses that were suffering financially during the month of Ramadan, said Ilhan Omar, Johnson’s senior policy aide. [StarTribune]
